Whole-system duct and dryer vent check with before-and-after photos - you see exactly what came out of your vents
That "$99 whole-house special" is a bait ad - the real number appears once they are in your hallway, or the "clean" is a shop-vac at the register. We photograph the inside of your ducts before and after instead.
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AfterFast, Reliable Duct Sealing Across Los Gatos
We’re the crew Hollis Air Duct Cleaning sends to Los Gatos when homeowners call with rooms that never heat evenly, utility bills that climb for no clear reason, or that sharp wildfire-ash smell every time the furnace cycles on. Our technicians drive to Los Gatos from our San Francisco Bay Area dispatch office, and we know the town’s mix of 1920s downtown bungalows, mid-century ranch homes off Los Gatos-Saratoga Road, and newer hillside estates above the Almaden Valley. That local knowledge matters because a sealing job in a historic Los Gatos home with original galvanized ductwork requires a different approach than a multi-zone system in a modern build. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll give you a written price before any work starts.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is Los Gatos’s Preferred Duct Sealing Company
We’ve been working in Los Gatos long enough to know which downtown blocks still have the original clay-tile sewer vents that complicate duct access, and which hillside neighborhoods above Highway 17 have the strict HOA rules that limit exterior modifications. Our Duct Sealing in Los Gatos work is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if a seal fails or a connection we made starts leaking within a full year, we come back and make it right at no charge, including a free second visit.
Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and arrive inside the window we quoted. The price is written down before we touch your system. That discipline is what The Garrison Standard requires, and it’s why Los Gatos homeowners who’ve been burned by bait-and-switch pricing elsewhere call us back for our Dryer Vent Cleaning in Los Gatos and annual maintenance.
Phones are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No voicemail loops, no callback queues, no waiting until Monday to schedule.
Air Duct Sealing in Los Gatos
Air Duct Sealing in Los Gatos is the repair work that follows inspection and cleaning, and it’s often the step that actually solves the problem homeowners called about. We seal the metal joints, flexible connections, and plenum seams that leak conditioned air into attics, crawlspaces, and wall cavities. In Los Gatos, this matters more than in many Bay Area towns because wildfire smoke from the Santa Cruz Mountains pushes fine ash through every gap, and older homes have plenty of them. A typical sealing job in Los Gatos runs $450 – $850 for a single-zone system with accessible ductwork, and $1,200 – $2,400 for multi-zone hillside homes with vaulted ceilings and hidden runs.
Smoke-Odor Neutralizing Sealants
Standard duct mastic seals air leaks. In Los Gatos, we often need to go further. After the CZU Lightning Complex fires, we started using smoke-odor neutralizing sealants on the interior of galvanized trunk lines in older homes. The product bonds to metal and flexible duct alike, creating a barrier that keeps embedded ash particulate from recirculating. We source these sealants through Abatement Technologies and Guardsman, the same suppliers that outfit commercial restoration crews.
Camera-Guided Sealing Above Vaulted Ceilings
Hillside estates in Los Gatos frequently have multi-zone systems with duct runs hidden above vaulted ceilings or inside soffits. We run a camera first. Disconnected sections, crushed flex, and leaks at zone dampers show up on the monitor. Then we seal what we found. Without that camera pass, we’d be guessing, and guessing wastes your money.
Duct Sealing Services in Los Gatos
Duct Sealing Services in Los Gatos cover the full repair cycle: inspection with camera and pressure testing, source removal of debris and ash under negative-air HEPA filtration, then mechanical sealing of joints, seams, and disconnected runs. We finish with a post-seal pressure test so you know the system holds. Most Los Gatos homeowners need this service when they’ve noticed uneven temperatures, rising PG&E bills, or persistent smoke odor after wildfire season. A straightforward single-zone sealing in a 1950s ranch near Los Gatos Boulevard runs $450 – $850. Complex multi-zone work in a hillside estate above $1,200 – $2,400.
Negative-Air Source Removal Before Sealing
We don’t seal over dirty ducts. Our Duct Sealing team uses Nikro negative-air machines to pull debris out under controlled suction while HEPA filtration captures particulate down to 0.3 microns. In Los Gatos, this step removes wildfire ash that standard vacuuming leaves behind. Sealing comes after. The order matters.
Pressure Testing to Verify the Seal
After we apply mastic and tape, we pressurize the system and measure leakage at the duct blaster. If the numbers don’t meet our standard, we find the remaining gaps and seal them. You get the before and after readings in writing. No guesswork, no “trust us, it’s better.”
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Los Gatos
We carry Rotobrush rotary brush systems for mechanical agitation inside duct runs, Nikro negative-air equipment for controlled debris removal, and filtration and sealing products from Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Guardsman. For Los Gatos homeowners, this means we don’t wait on parts shipped from out of state. When we find a failed zone damper in a multi-zone system off Shannon Road or a cracked plenum in a downtown bungalow near Tait Avenue, we have the replacement components on the truck or can source them through our Bay Area suppliers with next-day turnaround. The equipment is professional-grade, not hardware-store gear, and we explain what each tool does before we start it up.
Common Duct Sealing Problems We See in Los Gatos Homes
- Original galvanized joints leaking wildfire ash. Downtown Los Gatos bungalows built from the 1900s through the 1940s often have unsealed galvanized steel duct joints. The seams were designed to snap together, not to be airtight. Fine ash from Santa Cruz Mountain fires slips through these gaps and recirculates even after a thorough cleaning.
- Crushed or disconnected flexible duct runs. Mid-century homes and additions in the Almond Grove and Edelen districts frequently have flexible ductwork that has been crushed by pest activity, storage in crawlspaces, or poor original installation. The disconnection creates a path that pulls attic air, moisture, and ash directly into living spaces.
- Hidden leaks above vaulted ceilings in hillside estates. Multi-zone systems in homes above Highway 9 and along Montevina Road often have duct runs concealed above vaulted ceilings. Zone dampers and boot connections leak for years without detection because they’re invisible without camera inspection.
- Moisture intrusion from winter rains. Los Gatos winter storms push water through poorly sealed return plenums in crawlspaces and basements. The moisture feeds mold growth inside ducts, and sealing the plenum and returns is the only way to stop the cycle.
Pricing for Duct Sealing in Los Gatos, CA
We’re direct about pricing because we’ve heard too many stories from Los Gatos homeowners who accepted a low teaser quote and watched the final invoice triple once the technician was inside. That doesn’t happen with Hollis. We give one flat price per system, agreed in writing, before any work starts.
For Los Gatos homes, here’s what we typically see:
- Single-zone system, accessible ductwork, minor joint sealing: $450 – $650
- Single-zone system with smoke-odor neutralizing sealant application: $650 – $850
- Multi-zone system, camera inspection, sealing above vaulted ceilings: $1,200 – $2,000
- Complex hillside estate with zone damper repair and full reseal: $2,000 – $2,400
Factors that move the price: accessibility (crawlspace height, attic hatch location), extent of disconnected runs requiring reconnection, need for smoke-odor sealant versus standard mastic, and whether we find failed zone dampers or other components during inspection. We don’t charge per vent. One system, one price, written down before we start. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Los Gatos
Our crews work throughout the South Bay. We regularly drive to Los Gatos from nearby Saratoga, Campbell, Cupertino, and Santa Clara for scheduled sealing jobs and post-wildfire inspections. Same pricing structure, same written guarantee, same live-answer scheduling.
Serving Los Gatos, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Los Gatos area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Duct Sealing in Los Gatos
The cleaning removed loose debris, but fine ash has embedded in porous duct surfaces or is entering through unsealed joints. We apply smoke-odor neutralizing sealant to the interior of metal trunk lines and seal every joint with mastic rated for your system’s temperature range. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll inspect with a camera to locate the entry points.
Yes. Los Gatos’s strict building codes and historic downtown protections limit exterior modifications, so we work entirely from inside the home. We access ducts through existing registers and grilles, seal from the interior, and use low-profile access panels where absolutely necessary. Call (361) 326-5060 to discuss your specific home.
Los Gatos prohibits loud compressor or vacuum equipment before 8 AM, so our crews start with quiet camera inspection and hand-sealing tasks in downtown bungalows. Powered equipment runs after 8 AM. We schedule accordingly and never show up at 7 AM with a generator running. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll book a window that respects the ordinance.
Original galvanized supply ducts with unsealed joints, crushed flexible runs disconnected at wye fittings, and return plenums pulling attic air through gaps around the filter rack. These conditions are standard in homes built before 1970 in Los Gatos. Camera inspection reveals what a visual check cannot. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free inspection.
Each fire season pushes new ash and particulate into duct systems through existing leaks, and the ash is fine enough to pass through standard filters. Sealing the duct envelope before fire season reduces infiltration significantly. We recommend inspection and sealing in spring, before the summer fire risk peaks. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule.
Ready to stop losing conditioned air and breathing recirculated wildfire ash? Call Hollis Air Duct Cleaning at (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate. We’ll give you a written price before any work starts, and every seal we make is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving Los Gatos since 2004.